Finding Family
by wildfire-blaze09
Summary: When sixteen-year-old Tony witnesses the murder of a Petty Officr, Gibbs offers him, Abby, Tim, and Sarah protection. Abby is 13, Tim is 12, and Sarah is 5. very AU WARNING: Will contain spanking of minors.
1. Chapter 1

Ziva and Jimmy are not in this story, but I plan on adding them in following stories.

In this story, Gibbs and Jenny Shepard have been married for a little over a year. Jenny works for Homeland Security.

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Tony smiled as he stacked the last can of corn on the shelf; he was finished for the night. The sixteen-year-old walked to the front of the small grocery store, where the owner was standing.

"I'm finished Mr. Baker." Tony told the middle aged man.

Baker handed him an envelope and said, "See you Monday Tony."

"See you, Sir." Tony took the envelope and left the store, stepping into the frigid night air. The teen pulled his worn jacket tighter around him and started walking down the sidewalk, heading towards a Dollar General store a couple blocks away.

Today was Saturday, and Saturday was payday. For the last three paydays, every since he became big brother to three other kids, that meant a trip to Dollar General to buy food. The next day he usually went to Sav-A-Lot to buy some meat. Food at these two places were a lot cheaper then at Mr. Baker's grocery store.

Tony was grateful for the job, although he knew he was being used by the owner. Baker paid him under the table, which meant that Tony didn't need his Social Security number or parental consent. But it also meant that Baker could pay him less then minimum wage.

Tony walked into the store and grabbed a basket, then quickly shopped. He became pretty good at making his money last. He was usually broke by the next payday, but the kids never went hungry.

The teen quickly walked past the toy ales with the usual guilty feeling, he would love to be able to splurge and buy the younger kids toys and books. But he knew he had to be realistic, he knew he couldn't afford that. He did pick up a couple bags of cheap candy.

He knew that Tim and Abby loved Pixie Sticks, and that Sarah loved Gummy Bears. After making his selections, he checked out. Then went back out into the freezing night and headed to the motel they were staying at, it was a block away.

The motel was run down and in desperate need of repair. But it was cheap and no one bothered them as long as they paid when they were supposed to. They had a small room rented, it had two beds, a small table with two chairs, a refrigerator, and a small bathroom. It didn't have a kitchen, but they had an electric skillet, a hot plate, and a couple pans that Tony had found at a yard sale.

Tony made it to the motel room, his hands were full, and so he kicked the door with his foot. "Let me in, Abbs." He called out.

The door was opened and the young girl stepped aside so he could pass, then she relocked the door.

"Hey Tony." She smiled. "Just sit them down and I'll make you a plate, we can put the stuff up."

"Thanks." He said, sitting at the table. "Smells good."

Abby grabbed a plate and scooped spaghetti out of the electric skillet, then handed the plate to Tony.

"Looks good too." He said, taking the plate. "Important part is it tastes good." He said, with a mouth full of spaghetti.

"Boys are so gross." Sarah said, wrinkling her nose.

"Is that so?" Tony asked the five-year-old.

"Yup."

"I agree with ya, Sarah." Abby said.

"Hey." Tim protested.

"Come on." Abby said, as she started putting the items away. Tim and Sarah started helping.

The room had no shelves, so they used three milk crates that Tony got from Baker. The crates were turned sideways and stacked on top of one another.

Tony ate and watched the younger kids, wishing he could provide more for them then he could. The teen never saw himself as the responsible older brother type, but he easily fell into the roll. For the past three weeks, he had done his best to keep them safe and cared for.

Abby was the first one he met, he smiled as he remembered that day.

_**FLASHBACK**_

_Tony was walking down the sidewalk, going no where in particular. He heard a commotion up ahead and saw a crowd of people gathering, so he went to check it out. He weaved between the spectators and got to the front of the crowd, and stared in shock at what he saw._

_A boy he guessed was around his age was being beat up by a girl that couldn't have been more then thirteen. She threw a final punch and the boy landed on the ground, then stood up and ran away. The girl stood glaring at the retreating boy._

"_What the hell was that about?" Tony asked another boy._

"_See that old geyser?" he asked, nodding towards an elderly man in a wheelchair. The young girl was now handing the man a wallet._

"_yeah."_

"_The boy stole his wallet and tried to run, that chick stopped him."_

_Tony watched as the man offered the girl some money, but she refused. She was wearing black boots that came up to her knees, a plaid skirt, a black shirt with a white scull and cross bones, and a spiked dog collar. Her black hair was put up in matching pig tails._

_Tony heard a siren approaching and figured that someone caledl the police because of the fight, so he started walking away. He didn't want the police to see him. He took another look at the girl and was a little surprised that she took off running, apparently she didn't want the police to see her either._

_Tony saw her run into an ally and frowned, he knew that alley, there was no where to hid. With a sigh, Tony also ran into the alley. A kid with that much fire deserved a little help escaping from the cops, and Tony wanted to know more about her._

_Tony entered the alley and saw her lifting a man hole and slipping into the sewer, there was no way he was going to follow her in there. _

_It was two days later when he saw her again, she was sitting in another alley. Her back was against a wall and she had her knees pulled up to her. Her slight frame was shaking._

_Tony took off his jacket and walked over to her, slowly so he didn't startle her. She looked up and tried to scoot further back, but the wall prevented her from doing so._

"_Relax." Tony smiled. "I'm harmless." He held the coat out to her, but she didn't make any movements. "Take it, you're freezing. This sweater will keep me warm enough until I get back to my motel room and my jacket." He lied. The sweater he was wearing was thick, but he was still cold._

_The young girl slowly reached out and took the jacket, then put it on. "Thank you." She said._

"_Name's Tony."_

"_Abby." She smiled._

_Tony sat beside her and said, "I saw what you did to that wallet thief. Where did you learn how to fight?"_

"_Girl scouts."_

"_None of the girl scouts I've met can do that."_

_They sat in silence for a few moments, then Tony asked. "Can you go home? The streets are no place for a kid."_

"_I can take care of myself."_

"_No doubt about that." Tony grinned._

"_My parents died." She said, softly. _

"_Mine too."_

"_The foster home they sent me too was pretty bad, the man who ran it liked to hit the kids. Seemed to get some kind of sick pleasure from it. So I left." Then she smiled and added, "After I made sure they wouldn't hurt anyone else."_

"_How'd you do that?"_

"_Videoed him beating me up, sent one copy to the police and another copy to the news station."_

"_Nice." Tony said. _

"_Figured the next one might be the same, so I split."_

"_Got a place to stay tonight?"_

"_You're looking at it."_

"_You can't stay here, you'll freeze to death."_

"_No other choices."_

"_Yes there is, you can crash at my motel room tonight."_

_She turned her head and looked at him._

"_Relax." Tony chuckled and stood up, then reached out a hand to her. "You're cute, but too young."_

_Abby smiled and took his hand. _

_**END FLASHBACK**_

Tony's concentration shifted to Tim and Sarah, those two were brother and sister. He had met them about a week after Abby moved in with him.

_**FLASHBACK**_

_Tony and Abby were just about to enter a store, when the door flew open and a young boy flew out nearly knocking them down. A store clerk was right behind him, yelling for someone to call the police. The clerk stopped a few feet from the door and then angrily turned and went back into the store. _

"_We better split." Tony said. "In case they do call the cops."_

"_Yeah." Abby agreed. "Wonder what that kid did?"_

"_My guess is shoplifted."_

"_Probably."_

_They walked a couple blocks, then heard soft crying noises coming from an ally._

"_Stay here." Tony said, then he slipped into the ally and followed the sounds. He found a little girl, he figured was about five, sitting on a wooden create. She was holding her hand to her small body and Tony saw that it had a cut on it and was bleeding._

"_Hi there." Tony said gently. "I'm Tony."_

"_And I'm Abby." _

"_I thought I told you to wait." Tony said._

"_You didn't say for how long."_

"_Get away from her." A voice said. They turned to see the young boy who had fled from the store, he was about twelve. _

"_Take it easy kid." Tony said. "We heard her crying and came to check on her, her hand's hurt."_

"_I cut it, Timmy." She cried, holding the injured hand up. The young boy was instantly beside her, carefully examining the wound._

"_It doesn't look that bad." Abby said, as she too knelt beside the younger girl. "But it does need cleaned and bandaged."_

_Tony saw pack of lunch meat and bottle of water sticking out of the boy's pockets, he figured that the two were on their own._

"_We've got medicine and bandages back at our place." He said. "Along with a hot shower and warm food."_

"_No thank you." The boy said, quickly._

"_But I'm cold Timmy." The little girl cried. _

_Timmy looked at Tony with weary eyes._

"_We won't hurt you." Abby smiled. "You'll be safe."_

_Timmy nodded, then said, "Thank you."_

_  
"Name's Tony, this is Abby."_

"_I'm Tim…Timothy McGee, this is my sister Sarah."_

"_You two alone?"_

"_Yes. Our parents died in a car crash, they tried to separate us so we left." He looked ashamed as he pulled the meat and water from his pockets, "W..we haven't ate in a while, I know stealing is wrong though."_

"_It's okay, kid." Tony smiled. "You did what you had to to feed you're little sister. But that's in the past, you don't have to steal anymore."_

_**END FLASHBACK**_

Tony kept his word, he was determined that none of them would have to steal to survive.

"Tony." Sarah said, snapping him out of his memories.

"Yeah, Honey?"

"Can we have some candy? Please?"

Sure, but just a little. It's close to bedtime. You can more tomorrow after breakfast."

"Okay."

"Abbs, what's in the freezer? I plan on going meat shopping in the morning."

"We've got enough chicken for two meals and enough hamburger meat for one meal."

Tony finished his spaghetti, then went into the bathroom to wash his plate.

"Bedtime, Sarah." He said, went he came back in.

"Do I hafta?" the little girl asked, giving him her best puppy dog eyes.

"Yes." Was the answer.

"I'll tell you a story." Tim said.

"Kay." Sarah sighed, not happy about the idea. But she did like her big brother's stories.

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The next morning, Tony walked out of the bathroom and over to the girls' bed.

"Hey Abbs." He said, but the young girl didn't budge. "Abby." He said, a little louder.

The thirteen-year-old opened her eyes and glared at the older boy.

"I'm going to the store, I'll be back in a little while."

"Okay." She said, getting out of bed so she could lock the door behind him. Then she went back to bed.

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Tony hurried the two blocks to Sav-A-Lot, eager to get inside out of the cold. He decided to cut through an ally to shave some time off his walk, the alley ended at the back of the store.

He stopped walking when he heard two men arguing. Then he hid behind a garbage can when he saw the two men, one had a gun. Tony watched as the man with the gun shot the other man in the chest, then run away. Tony waited a moment, to make sure the gunman was gone, then he rushed to the fallen man's side.

The young teen grabbed the man's wrist to check his pulse, but found none. He knew the man was dead.

"Hey, what's going on?" A voice called out. Tony looked up and saw that a few people had come to find out what happened. He stood up and ran.

Tony went back to the motel and knocked. "Abbs." He called out. "It's me."

The door opened and Tony rushed inside, shutting the door behind him.

"Tony." Abby said. "What happened?"

"Nothing," He smiled.

Sarah looked up form where she was drawing at the table, then went back to her drawing. But Abby and Tim knew something happened.

"What happened?" Abby asked again."

Tony motioned for them to walk a few more feet away from the five-year-old. "I saw a man get killed, shot in the chest."

"Oh no." Abby clasped both hands over her mouth. "How awful."

"Who was he?' Tim asked.

"No idea."

"You have to go to the police." Tim said.

"Not a chance." Tony said.

Tim started to argue, but stopped. He knew Tony couldn't go to the police, they would all be separated.

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Gibbs and his team sat at their desks doing paperwork on a case that they had just wrapped up that morning, when Gibbs' phone rung. He answered it, then hung up.

"Gear up." He said, as he grabbed his gun and badge. "Dead Petty Officer."

Agents Stan Burly and Kate Todd quickly grabbed their gear and followed him. A little while latter, they were standing behind Sav-A-Lot. Ducky and his assistant, Gerald, were already there.

"What cha' got Duck?" Gibbs asked.

"Single gunshot to the chest."

"It that what killed him?"

"More then likely, but I will know for certain when we get him home." He handed Gibbs the man's wallet that he found in his pocket.

"Petty Officer Frank Smith." Gibbs said. "Stationed at Quantico."

Gibbs waked over to the first officer on the scene, a patrol named Trent Miller.

"Agent Gibbs." He said, showing his ID. "Any witnesses?"

"Not sure." The officer said. Several people heard the shot and a few came back here to see what happened, they saw a young teenage boy knelt by the dead man. He took off running, I'm not sure if he was a witness or the murderer." He handed Gibbs a piece of paper with the teen's description.

"Anyone know the victim?"

"No one I spoke with, but one of the clerks saws that the boy has been in here every Sunday for the past three weeks."

"Where?"

Miller pointed towards a teenage girl who was standing by a patrol car, he walked over to her and showed her his ID. The young girl was shivering and blowing on her hands to try to warm them.

"Come on." He said, gently taking her upper arm and leading her to NCIS van. He opened the passenger side door and she climbed in, Gibbs walked around and also got in. Then he turned the heat on high.

"Thank you." She said, holding her hands in front of the heating vent.

"What's your name?"

"Tiffany Harris." She said.

"Worked here long?"

"Just a couple months, after school and on weekends. Next year, I'll be a Senior. I'm trying to save some money for that."

"Officer Miller said you knew the boy who was beside the body."

"I think I saw him in here, if it's the same on. The description sounded like him." she looked down and said quietly, "I um hid when I heard the gunshot, I didn't go and check it out."

"That proves you're smart." Gibbs said. "You did the right thing."

She smiled slightly and looked back up. "He sounds like this cute guy that's been coming here for the last three Sundays."

"You ever talk to him?"

"Yes Sir, like I said, he's really cute. His name's Tony, but he never told me his last name."

"What do you know about him?"

"Not much, I know he's sixteen. And that he's either got frugal parents, or parents with not much money."

"What makes you say that?"

"He only buys the stuff that's on sale, I'm the same way though. On food that is, not clothes."

Gibbs smiled and asked "Anything else?"

"He's really nice, kinda flirty. And he's funny."

"He ever mention where he lived or his family?"

"No."

"Thank you for your time." He handed her his card. "If you see him, or can think of anything else, call me."

"Okay."

"And I know he's cute." He said, seriously. "But he may have committed a murder, so stay away from him. You see him, do not approach him."

"I won't."

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"Hey Boss." Stan said, as he walked over to Gibbs. "What did the clerk say? Does she know who our witness slash murder suspect it?"

"Only that he's cute and may be from a low income family."

"That's not much to go on."

"Really?" Gibbs asked, stepping closer to the younger man and invading his personal space. "Thank you for pointing that out, I never would have thought that."

"Um, I'm going to go look for more clues." Stan said, his voice nervous.

"That would be a good idea."

The young man hurried off.

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A little while later, the three agents walked in the forensics' lab. Amanda Graff was standing in front of her computer.

"Got something, Amanda?" Gibbs asked the young forensic scientist.

"A fingerprint from the Petty Officer's watch." She said. Amanda was in her late twenties and had been working for NCIS for three years. Her slender build and pretty face had most of the men working there flirting with her constantly, Including Stan.

"Get a match?" Gibbs wanted to know."

"Yeah, and you aren't going to like it." She said, as she walked over to the plasma and stated clicking the remote. A picture of a young teenage boy appeared on the screen, it was a mug shot.

"His name is Anthony DiNozzo." Amanda said. "He's only sixteen, this was taken a year ago."

"What's his story?" Gibbs asked, hoping that there was another explanation for his fingerprint being on the dead man's watch besides him being the one that killed him. He really didn't want to arrest a kid for murder.

"His parents were wealthy, but his Dad made a lot of poor investments. Anthony was sent to a boarding school when he was twelve and stayed there until last year when his Parents were killed by his Dad's business partner. They died owing a lot more money then they actually had and the government took everything to pay the debts. Anthony was left with no money and no family.

He was sent to a group home, which he ran away from the very next day. Three months later, he was arrested for trespassing. He was sleeping in an empty house. He was once again sent to a group home, he stayed there for a week before he split. Then he dropped of the grid, until now."

"Tony is short for Anthony." Kate said.

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More soon, what do you think?


	2. Chapter 2

The next day Gibbs stopped the car in front of Milford Boarding school, it was a large grey structure with several small grey structures surrounding it.

"Very cheerful place." Kate said, from the passenger side.

The two agents got out and walked towards the school, several boys hurried past them heading in different directions. They went into the main building and were stopped by a security guard.

"NCIS." Gibbs said, showing his badge. "Agent Gibbs, Agent Todd. We need to speak with the dean."

"Guns stay here." he said, nodding towards a large safe.

Gibbs nodded as him and Kate handed over their weapons, then they walked through a metal detector. Another guard showed them to a large office and asked them to wait. A few minutes later, a middle aged man walked in.

"Hello." He said, extending his hand. "I am Marshal Drake, please have a seat."

The man sat behind his desk and the two agents sat in front of it.

"What can I help you with?" He asked.

"A former student named Anthony DiNozzo." Gibbs said. "What can you tell us about him?"

"Tony is a good kid." The man said, sadly. "Had a rough life though."

"Can you elaborate on that?" Gibbs asked.

"Tony came here when he was twelve, I met his Father then. The boy was here for over three years, and I never saw His Father again. I never even met his Mother. Tony was here twenty four hours a day, seven days a week. He was also here every holiday. His parents never once visited him, just sent his tuition, never even asked how he was doing."

"How did Tony respond to that?" Gibbs asked.

"Is Tony is some kind of trouble?" Drake asked.

"He may have witnessed a crime." Gibbs said, "Or committed it himself. Either way, we need to find him."

"I have no idea where he would go. And in answer to your question, he handled it by bottling up. He was the school clown, always joking around and getting into some kind of mischief. But he never opened up about his feelings. And when you asked personal questions, or when he was upset or nervous, he just joked more."

"You said he got into mischief." Kate said. "What kind?"

"Normal teenage stuff. He put glue on all the keyboards right before a typing class started, glued twenty students' fingers to the keyboards. He put a large snake in Mr. Hanson's desk drawer, then locked the door to the room from the outside so he could not get out. Mr. Hanson was and still is scared of snakes. He rigged the sprinkler system so it came on when the school's president and other important people walked across the lawn. Things like that."

"Was he ever violent?" Gibbs asked.

"No, he got into his fair share of fights. But he wasn't violent."

"Do you know of anyone he would turn to? Anywhere he would go?" Kate asked.

"No, he had no one. He had many friends here, but not close friends."

Gibbs and Kate thanked the man, then left.

"Abandoned as a child." Kate said, once they were back in the car. "Trying to fit in, but never really being able too. He's looking more like a suspect then a witness."

"A lot of kids have a screwed up childhood and don't commit murder." Gibbs reminded her.

"I know, and I hope he's innocent. But why did he run if he was innocent?"

"Because he didn't want to be sent back to a group home."

"I hope your right."

"Me too."

Both hated the thought of a sixteen-year-old committing murder.

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Gibbs walked into autopsy and saw Ducky closing one of the drawers on the freezer were the dead bodies were held. Gerald was making notes in a file.

"Perfect timing as usual, Jethro." Ducky said.

"What did you find?"

"Our Petty Officer would have perished soon due to his own living habits."

"What kind of habits?"

"Heroin, he was a frequent user. But the bullet is what killed him."

"Any surprises in the autopsy?'

"No."

"Thanks Duck." Jethro left autopsy and headed to the forensics lab.

"What cha' got, Amanda?" He asked.

"A migraine from looking through that microscope for so long." She said.

Gibbs raised an eyebrow and she added, "The bullet was from a twenty two pistol, and it was not a virgin gun. I got a ballistics match from a liquor store robbery from two weeks ago. A guy wearing a mask entered the store, stole about seven hundred dollars, and shot the clerk in the shoulder when he tried to follow him out of the store."

She picked up a remote and clicked it, a masked man appeared on the screen.

"He never removed the mask, all the clerk knows it that he's a big white guy."

"It's not DiNozzo." Gibbs said. "But that doesn't mean he didn't kill our Petty Officer."

"He could have been checking for a pulse." Amanda said.

Gibbs nodded, then left and headed for the squad room. Kate and Stan were at their desks.

"Progress." He barked.

"Petty Officer Smith was on the brink of being kicked out." Stan said. "He was constantly late for duty and moody, gotten into a few fights. The only reason he wasn't already gone was because his CO gave him some slack due to the death of his sister three months ago."

"Smith's sister was a known drug dealer named Marisa Smith, she had ties with a gang called Devil's Own. Cute name. The leader of the gang is a guy named Oscar Carnell, goes by the name of Nail. Him and Petty Officer Smith had an altercation a week ago, but no arrests were made. It didn't get past the yelling stage."

Carnell is a career criminal." Stan added. Been in and out of trouble with the law since he was fourteen and got busted for selling Heroin."

"Address." Gibbs said.

"Right here." Kate held up a piece of paper.

"Bring him in."

"Oh, I also sent a picture of Anthony to all the hotels, motels, and bus stations within a five block radius of the store." Kate said.

Stan and Kate grabbed their stuff and left.

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Tony sat in a chair by the window, where he had been all night. A million thoughts were running through his head, and none of them were good. He didn't think the gunman saw him, but he couldn't be certain. What if he had been seen, what if he came after him? The younger kids could get hurt or killed, he couldn't let that happen.

Abby woke up and noticed that Tony was still in the same spot he was when she went to sleep. Careful not to wake up Sarah, she slipped out of bed and walked over to him.

"You okay?' She asked.

"Yeah, just thinking."

"Bout what?"

"Nothing important." He smiled. "It's still early, get some more sleep."

"You're the one who needs sleep, you look like hell."

"I'm fine, Abbs."

"Bull."

Tony sighed and said, "I'm worried."

"Bout that gunman coming after you?"

"And you, and Tim, and Sarah."

"We'll be okay, we'll just lay low for a bit. Besides, he probably didn't even see you."

"I hope not."

"Me too." Abby bend forward and hugged the older boy, "We'll be okay." She assured him.

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An hour after leaving NCIS, Stan and Kate returned without Carnell.

"His landlord said he hasn't been back to his apartment since yesterday." Stan told Gibbs.

"We tossed his place, but didn't find anything to tie him into the murder. We did find a lot of Heroin though, and seven guns. But no twenty two, the murder weapon wasn't there."

"We sent everything to Amanda." Stan said.

Kate sat down at her desk and started typing. "Manager at the Pine Oak Motel on Milton street recognized the picture of Anthony." Kate said. "Said him and his little sister checked in three months ago, claimed he was eighteen."

"He doesn't have a sister." Stan said.

"Girlfriend, maybe." Kate suggested.

"Let's roll." Gibbs said, grabbing his stuff. Stan and Kate were right behind him.

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Officer Trent Miller stood across the street from the Pine Oak Motel, a smile on his face. He watched as a car pulled over and stopped in front of him, there were three people in the car.

"He in there?" Oscar Carnell asked, nodding towards the motel room.

"Yes, he has company."

"So?"

"Just thought I'd let you know."

Carnell handed the officer an envelope. "Two thousand, like we agreed to."

"Nice doing business with you, Nail." Miller said, then walked away.

"You know what to do boys." Carnell said. "No survivors."

The other two men nodded, then grabbed their guns and got out of the car.

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Tony was still sitting by the window, Abby and Tim were cooking oatmeal, and Sarah was laying on the floor drawing.

Tony saw a cop standing across the street and got nervous, he was looking towards the motel room. The teen watched a car pull up, then the cop walk away. Then he saw two men get out of the car with guns.

"Damn." He said, jumping up. "Everyone in the bathroom."

The younger kids looked at him in confusion.

"Now." He shouted, and they quickly did as they were told.

"What's going on Tony?" Abby asked, as Tony opened the bathroom window.

"We've got company." He said. He started to pick up Sarah to put her through the window, but the sounds of automatic gunfire stopped him. Bullets slammed trough the closed door and embedded into the opposite wall and window.

"Get down." Tony shouted, as they all dropped to the floor. "The tub." The older boy shouted.

The four kids climbed into the tub, Tony trying his best to cover the younger kids with his body. Sarah was screaming and crying, as she laid underneath Tony.

The sound of the room being peppered with bullets was deafening and seemed to last for an eternity. Finally it stopped, but the kids did not move.

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Gibbs and his team was a few blocks away from the motel, when their car radio crackled, then the dispatcher announced gunshots at the motel. Stan and Kate instantly held on tighter because they knew what was about to happen, and they were right. Gibbs pressed the gas pedal even harder, now going eighty miles an hour.

Gibbs' car screeched to a halt and they saw two men walking towards the motel room, which was riddled with bullet holes.

"NCIS." Gibbs shouted, as they jumped out of the car and aimed their guns. "Freeze." He shouted.

The two men aimed their guns at the NCIS agents and started to shoot, but the agents were faster and the two men slumped to the ground.

With their weapons still aimed at the men, the agents walked over to them.

"They're dead, Boss." Stan said.

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"Is it over?" Tim asked, when the second round of gunshots stopped.

"Not sure, Buddy." Tony said.

"The second round sounded different." Abby said.

"It was different."

"I'm scared." Sarah whimpered. She had stopped crying.

"It'll be okay, Sis." Tim assured her, hoping he sounded more convinced then he actually was.

They heard someone enter the outer room and Tony motioned for them to be quiet. The bathroom door opened and a man stepped in, aiming his gun at the four kids in the bathtub.

"They didn't see anything." Tony said, rising his hands and stepping out of the bathtub. "They're just kids, let them go."

The man put his gun away and said, "I'm Agent Jethro Gibbs, you're safe now."

They other kids stepped out of the tub, Sarah clinging to Tim's leg.

"I know you're Anthony." Gibbs smiled at the teen. "Who are your friends?"

"Sleepy, Dopey, and Doc." The sixteen-year-old said.

Two conflicting thoughts ran through Tony's head. He knew that this man would send them back to the foster care system, and that meant that they would be split up. He came to love the younger kids as if they were his real brother and sisters, he could not bear the thought of losing them. They needed each other.

But on the other hand, he knew that they needed protection. He figured the second round of gunfire was the cops shooting at the bad guys, but what if they didn't catch them? What if they were still on the loose? Still looking for him? They needed police protection.

"Is Snow White hiding in the toilet?" Gibbs asked.

"No, she's out shopping with Cinderella." Tony answered.

Gibbs smiled, there was something about this kid that he liked.

"Come on, kid." Gibbs said. "Let's get going."

"Where to?' Tony asked.

"NCIS."

"What's that?" Abby asked.

"Naval Criminal Investigative Services."

"This clowns that shot the place up are in the Navy?" Tony asked.

"No. The man you witnessed getting killed was a Petty Officer."

"Who got killed?" Sarah asked, her eyes grew wide and watered. "Timmy, I'm scared."

"It's okay, Pumpkin." Tim said, picking his sister up and wrapping his arms around her. "Everything's okay." The five-year-old wrapped her arms around his neck, her legs around his waist, and buried her head in his shoulder.

"Nice move, Kojack." Tony said, glaring at the man.

"Let's go." Gibbs said, feeling bad about making the young girl cry. "We can talk more later."

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The ride to NCIS was made in near silence. Gibbs had tried to get the kids to talk, but none would. Kate and Stan had stayed at the crime scene. Gibbs parked the car and lead the kids inside and into the squad room, where Amanda was waiting. Gibbs had called her and asked her to meet him in the

"Kids." Gibbs said. "This is Amanda."

"Hey." The woman smiled.

"Anthony DiNozzo at your service." Tony said, with a smile. "But you can call me Tony."

"I though Amanda could keep an eye on Sleepy, Dopey, and Doc while you and I have a little chat." Gibbs said.

"I would much rather have a little chat with Amanda." Tony said, stepping closer to the woman. "Maybe in private, over a nice bottle of wine."

"Can it, DiNozzo." Gibbs said, trying not to laugh.

"Come on." Amanda smiled at the other kids. They looked at Tony for permission to go.

"Go ahead." Tony said. "Sarah, no wandering off."

"I won't." The little girl said.

Gibbs and Tony watched as they walked away, and Gibbs noticed Tony's eyes shift to Amanda's butt as they walked.

"You're right." Tony said. "I did see a man get shot, didn't know he was a Petty Officer." He looked over at Gibbs. "How'd you know I saw it?"

"You're fingerprint was on his watch."

"I was checking for a pulse."

"A clerk said you were there a few times, gave a description."

"Tiffany." The teen smiled.

"You gonna tell me about Sleepy, Dopey, and Doc?"

"Nothing to tell, they are my siblings."

"You don't have any siblings."

"Not on paper."

Tony ran a hand through his hair. "I didn't come forward because I didn't want us to be separated, but I'll tell you everything I know now. If you promise to just let us walk out of here."

"Can't do that, you need an adult……"

"Bull shit." Tony shouted, glaring at him. "We tried that, it don't work."

"I will see what I can do about keeping you together, but I'm not making any promises." Gibbs said, looking into his eyes. "It'll be real hard to find somewhere that can take in four kids."

Tony nodded, now with a new respect for the man. He didn't try to con Tony into thinking he would help him if he talked. He was honest."

"I got a real good look at the shooter." Tony said. "Pretty sure I can remember exactly what he looked like."

"Okay." Gibbs said. "Now tell me about the kids."

"Abby's thirteen, her parents died in a plane crash and she was sent to a group home. She said she was hit, so she videoed the abuse and sent it to the police and news station. Then she split. I met her three months ago, right after it happened.

Tim is twelve and Sarah is five, I meet them shortly after meeting Abby. They are brother and sister, their parents died in a car crash and they were going to be separated. They ran away so they could stay together."

"And you've been looking out for them?"

"Yeah."

"How?"

"Got me a job, doesn't pay real good, but good enough to pay for rent and food."

"Taking care of three kids doesn't leave much time for you to be a kid."

"I'm not a kid." Tony said.

"Okay, it doesn't leave you much time to be a teenager."

"I don't care, they are my family."

Gibbs nodded and made a silent vow to himself that he was going to do everything in his power to keep them together.

"Did you get the shooters?"

"We got the two who shot up the motel, but I don't think either one killed the Petty Officer."

"Want me to look through some kind of mug books or something?"

"I want you to set with Amanda and do a digital sketch."

"Not a problem." Tony smiled. "For as long as it takes." Then the smile vanished and he grew serious. "What about Abby, Tim, and Sarah? They are in danger."

"The four of you are under our protective custody." Gibbs assured him. "You are safe."

Tony nodded, for some reason he believed the man. He believed that Gibbs would protect them.

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	3. Chapter 3

A little while later, the three agents were sitting at their desks. Tony was in Amanda's lab working on the sketch, and the younger kids were in autopsy with Ducky and Gerald. Stan and Kate had packed all of the kids' clothes that they found in the motel room, which wasn't very much. Just a couple suites a piece and one set of night clothes a piece. They also packed their tooth brushes and toothpaste.

"The two dead gunmen are Victor Hanson and Shawn Marsh." Stan said. "Both have a long line of arrests."

"And both are known members of the Devil's Own gang." Kate said.

"Which makes Carnell look more and more like our man."

Stan's phone rang and he answered it.

"A bartender claims Carnell is at the Dime Box Bar on Greene Street." Stan said, hanging up the phone and grabbing his gear.

"Check it out, take Kate with you."

They two younger agents rushed out.

"Agent Gibbs." Amanda said, entering the squad room with Tony right beside her. "Tony has a great memory." She handed the man a copy of the digital sketch.

"You sure this is the man who killed Petty Officer Smith?" Gibbs asked Tony.

"I'm sure this is the man who killed the guy behind Sav-A-lot." The teen said. "I'm guessing it's the Petty Officer."

"I'm running it through face recognition now." Amanda said.

"No need." Gibbs said, looking at the picture which was obviously Carnell. "Already got an ID."

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Stan and Kate walked in the bar and saw Carnell still sitting at the bar, the place was crowded.

"Go to his table." Stan said. "Keep him occupied so I can get behind him."

Kate nodded and headed over to the table, she knew Stan's plan would minimize the risk of an innocent bystander getting hurt.

"This seat taken?" Kate asked, smiling at him.

"It is now." Carnell said, returning the smile.

Kate sat down and saw Stan making his way over.

"Name's Kate."

"They call me Nail."

"That's an unusual name."

"I'm an unusual man."

"I'd say so." Stan said, pressing his gun to the man's temple. "NCIS, don't move."

"Oscar Carnell." Kate said, standing up. "You are under arrest for the murder of Petty Officer Frank Smith."

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Gibbs walked into Director Morrow's office. "You wanted to see me Sir?"

"Have a seat." Morrow said.

Gibbs sat down.

"How are the four kids doing?"

"Fine Sir."

"I understand that only Tony saw the shooting."

"Yes Sir."

"You think all four are in danger?"

"I believe so, Sir." Gibbs answered. "All four were in the motel when it was shot up. If Carnell didn't know about the other three then, then he sure does now."

"I'll handle them all being put in protective custody." Morrow said. "And make a few calls about a home for all of them."

"They need to stay together, Sir."

"That may be impossible."

"I know, but they are family. They formed a strong bond."

"I'll see what I can do, but don't get your hopes up."

"Thank you Sir."

"Are they going home with you tonight?"

"Yes Sir, Agent Burly is also staying."

"Jenny have any objections to you bringing home a passel of kids?"

"She's in New York, at some kind of peace conference." Gibbs informed him. "But I doubt she'd mind anyway."

"Me neither, you've got quite a wife."

"I know, Sir." Gibbs smiled.

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Gibbs walked into Amanda's lab.

"What cha' got Amanda?" He asked.

"I ran ballistics on all seven guns that were found at Carnell's place." She said. "One was used in a robbery at a bank two months ago, a guard was shot and killed with it. Another was used in a drive by four months ago, three men where shot and killed with that one. Another was used in another drive by five months ago, one woman was killed in that one."

"Carnell's been busy."

"The other guns were virgins, but all the serial numbers were filed off."

Gibbs' phone rung and he answered it, then hung up without saying a word.

"Burly and Todd have Carnell in custody, and he was carrying a twenty two."

"I'll run ballistics as soon as I get the gun."

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Gibbs walked into autopsy and saw Tim playing on a computer, Gerald and Tony were making and flying paper airplanes, Ducky was showing Sarah some magic tricks, and Abby was laying on top of one of the autopsy tables. The young girl had her arms crossed across her chest and her eyes closed.

Gibbs stared at her for a moment.

"Abby's kinda weird." Tony said, seeing the confused look on his face. "But the good kind of weird."

"I heard that Tony." The thirteen-year-old said, without moving or opening her eyes.

"I've slept on them before. I need you come with me for a minute." Gibbs told Tony. "I want you to look at someone and tell me if he is the man you saw do the shooting."

Tony nodded. "I'll be right back, guys." He called out to the other kids. "Behave yourselves." Then he followed Gibbs out of the room.

Gibbs lead him into an observation room and over to the window. Stan and Kate were also in the observation room.

"That's him." Tony said, looking at the man in the integration room.

"You sure?" Gibbs asked.

"Positive."

"We've got him, Boss." Stan said.

"What happens now?" Tony asked. "With Abby, Tim, Sarah, and me."

"We're not sure if Carnell had any accomplishes." Gibbs said. "And his gang isn't going to like him going to prison. So for the time being, you will stay under NCIS custody."

Gibbs' phone rung and he answered it, then hung up without speaking.

"Tony go on back to Autopsy."

"Yes Sir."

Tony left, then Gibbs turned to the two younger agents. "That twenty two you got off of Carnell is the one that killed Petty Officer Smith, Amanda just got a match."

"Another nail in Nail's coffin," Stan grinned.

"That was the worst joke ever." Kate said.

"I think it was pretty good." Stan defended himself.

"You would."

"Hey." Gibbs barked. Stan and Kate shut up.

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Gibbs decided to let Carnell stew overnight. It was getting late, and he wanted to get the kids to his place and settled in for the night. Him, Stan, Tony, Abby, Tim, and Sarah left NCIS.

Henry, the night guard, watched them leave. Then he picked up the phone and dialed a number.

"Mrs. Gibbs." He said into the phone. "You're husband just left. Not a problem." He hung up the phone. The thought about telling her about him bringing Stan and four kids with him never crossed his mind.

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Jenny hung up the phone with a smile, she had big plans for the night. She knew that her husband did not expect her back for another two day, and she was going to enjoy surprising him. She gathered several candles and scattered them throughout the living room and in the bedroom, then she turned the lights down low. Jenny quickly changed into a very short and very low cut teddy; she had bought it while in New York.

Jenny heard Gibbs' car pull into the drive and she hurried downstairs with a smile. She was so excited about what laid ahead that she failed to hear the second car pull into the drive.

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Gibbs opened his house door and walked inside, with the others right behind him. He stopped in his tracks at the sight of his wife sitting seductively on the coffee table, he couldn't keep the smile from appearing on his face. Stan and Tony stared at her, neither able to even blink. Tim gasped, then quickly closed his eyes.

Jenny recovered from her shock quickly and jumped up and ran into their bedroom, closing the door behind her.

"You should really invite me over more often, Boss." Stan said.

Gibbs' response was a hard slap to the back of his head.

"Be right back." Gibbs said, following his wife. He was still smiling. He walked into their bedroom and found an angry looking jenny glaring at him, she had changed into a pair of sweats and a tee shirt.

"Liked you better before." Gibbs said, winking at her.

"Why didn't you tell me you were bringing people home?" Jenny demanded to know.

"I didn't know you were here, Jen." Gibbs reminded her.

"I know." She sighed, her anger gone. But not her embarrassment. "I can't believe Stan saw me dressed like that, and those boys. The littler one looked like he was about to faint." Then she smiled and said. "The older one seemed to have liked what he saw."

"I'm sure he did." Gibbs said.

"So, who are they?"

Gibbs told her about the case, and about the kids.

"You mind them staying here?" Gibbs asked, already knowing the answer.

"Of course not, Jethro." She said. "You can send Stan home though, I can be your backup tonight."

"Okay." Gibbs trusted his wife to watch his back, he had taught her well. He grinned and said, "I'd much rather spend the night with you anyway." He wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her close, kissing her.

"Come on." Jenny said, after they pulled apart several moments later. "We've got a job to do."

They walked back into the living room.

"You can leave, Burly." Gibbs said, "Jen and me have tonight covered."

"No." Tony said.

"Excuse me?' Gibbs asked, his voice slightly stern.

"Noting personal Ma'am." Tony said, looking at Jenny. "But I can't agree to us staying her with you here, we've already been shot at once. I can't risk you getting hurt."

Jenny smiled and walked over to the boy, who was almost as tall as she was. "Thank you for your concern, Tony. But I am well trained in both fire arms and hand to hand combat. I was an NCIS agent, Jethro here trained me. Now I work for Homeland Security. I am quite capable of handling anything that may happen."

"I'm sorry, Ma'am." Tony said, sheepishly. "I wasn't trying to be condescending."

"I know, you were being a gentleman." Jenny smiled.

Stan said his goodbyes, and Gibbs introduced his wife to the kids.

"We have two bedrooms." Gibbs said. "The boys get one and the girls get one."

"Where will you and Mrs. Gibbs sleep?" Tim wanted to know. "Tony and me don't mind sleeping on the floor or the couch, that way you two can still have your room."

"That's okay, Tim." Gibbs said. "Jen and me are on protection detail, we don't need a room."

"And please call me Jenny." Jenny added.

Jenny showed the girls to their room and Gibbs showed the boys their room. Then the adult left them alone to take baths and change into their night clothes. The two adults went back into the living room.

"They seem like nice kids." Jen said. "Poor things have been through a lot."

"I know." Gibbs agreed. "Director Morrow is checking to see if he can pull some strings to keep them together, figure you can do the same."

"Of course, but it won't be easy."

"I know."

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A little while later, everyone was sitting in the living room. Gibbs and Jenny were sitting on a settee, the kids were sitting on the couch.

"Gibbs." Abby said, with a smile. "Stan told us that you had a boat in the basement. Can we see it?"

"In the morning." Gibbs said. "We need to have a little chat, then it's bedtime. You all have had a long day."

"Not sleepy." Sarah said, around a yawn.

"Then why are you yawning?" Jenny asked her.

"Just am." The five-year-old said.

"While you four are here." Gibbs said, his voice taking on a slightly more stern voice. "You are to stay in the house unless one of us is with you. When we are out of the house, you will stay within eyesight at all times. Understood?"

"Yes Sir.' Four voices said. Gibbs winced a little at being called Sir, but didn't correct them. He knew they called him that out of respect. He thought it was only right for children to call their elders Sir and Ma'am.

"Sarah." Gibbs said, looking a the youngest. "It is very important that you follow those rules."

"I will." She said. "Tony'll make me sit in the corner if I wonder off." She pouted and added, "It's boring sitting in the corner."

Gibbs smiled and said, "I know it is."

"But the restrictions doesn't mean you can enjoy yourselves while you're here." Jenny said. "What do you like to do Tony?"

"Watch movies." Was the answer.

"That won't be a problem." Jenny smiled. "Although I doubt you have the same tastes in movies as Jethro and I. but if you make a list of movies you like, I can rent them for you."

"Really?" Tony asked, smiling. "You sure it won't be to much of an inconvenience?"

"Of course not."

"Cool, thank you."

"How about you, Abby?" Jenny asked the thirteen-year-old.

"Science and computers." Was the answer.

"I have a laptop you can use, it's pretty state of the art. The computer in our home office is off limits though, it's for our work only. Although all the files are password protected and you won't be able to access them, it is still off limits."

"Her and Tim could access them." Tony said with a smirk. "They are computer geeks, I truly believe they could hack into the CIA's computers."

"Given enough time." Abby said, with confidence. "Tim and me could hack into anything."

"Impressive." Jenny said. "So I guess you're answer would also be computers." Jenny said, looking at the twelve-year-old.

"Yes Ma'am." Tim said.

"Anything else?"

"Reading." Was the quite reply.

"You are welcomed to read any book here. And if you know of a book you want to read, just let me know."

"Thank you."

"How about you, Sarah?" Jenny asked, but didn't get an answer. She looked at the youngest kid and found her sound asleep, snuggled up against her brother's side.

"And I thought she wasn't sleepy.' Gibbs said, smiling.

Tony stood up and gently picked her up and carried her into the room she and Abby would be sharing, Abby followed and pulled the bed covers back so he could lay her down.

"I like them." Abby said, smiling at Tony. "They seem really nice."

"I like them too." Tony said. "But be prepared to split when this is over."

"Why?"

"Because they are not going to be able to find a place that will take in four kids." Tony explained. "If we want to stay together, then we have to run."

"Okay." Abby agreed. She wanted them to stay together, even if that meant living in a crummy motel room and being afraid of being caught at any time. "We leave when you say so, I know Tim and Sarah will agree."

"In the mean time, we listen to Gibbs and do exactly what him and his team say. I trust them to protect us from Carnell's gang."

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Hope you like it so far, let me know what you think.


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